Patron: Brig. F.G. Galleghan, D.S.O., O.B.E., E.D.
President: J.H. Cooper, Esq.,
Hon. Secretary: S.F. Arneil, Esq.
Hon. Treasurer: R.E. Ellis, Esq.

Dear Dig,

The Annual Reunion which was hold at Sargents, Market Street, on the 17th November was a huge success for those who were there. There were 134 present including representatives of other units of the 8th Div. Speeches were cut to the bone of course, but the Old Man received a good hearing for his brief but entertaining little reply to the toast of the Regiment. He stressed the need for our unity and for the preservation of the spirit of esprit de corps which helped us so much during the war years.

For the rest of the night the troops, helped by a glass of beer, talked their heads off, and enjoyed themselves in their usual fashion. Vince Leonard did a good job with the piano and he soon had a mob of leather lunged singers around him. They almost lifted the roof off.

There were many apologies this year, for a variety of reasons, new babies usually, but there were also some new faces and some who had not been down for a few years.

Colonel Duffy was in evidence, thoroughly enjoying himself, whilst for the first time for years we saw little Lennie Barnes of 27th Brigade. Len had a wonderful time and entertained a group of us all the way home. Neil Huntley, was down this year and he enjoyed the reunion very much. He is on the land and hopes to be in the clear within a year or two. Neil started from scratch but is a terrific worker and we hope that his ambitions are realised sooner than he expects.

Eric Beatty, balding violinist, of the Concert Party, had a wonderful night and has promised to bring his fiddle next year.

Notable absentees were Colonel Ramsay who was unable to be present, and Garry Evans who has family sickness on his hands. These two members, one a former Colonel and the other a Lance Jack, but now both plain "Mister," so rarely miss a Unit show that their absence is noticed immediately.

Alec Snow and wife are to be congratulated on the birth of their first child. It is a great event for them and they are very happy about it. Alec holds down a comfortable job at David Jones.

We have heard that Johnnie Walker and his wife have also a new baby. If this is so we offer our best wishes to this couple. Johnnie is now a Capt. In the Army and is doing well.

Dr. Lloyd Cahill is back in Australia and is working for the Repat. Dept. at Grace Building. It is a pleasant surprise to meet an ex P.O.W. doctor when one is being shuffled through the P.O.W. survey.

On January 15th, a Monday, at  1.30 p.m., the Assoc­iation will place a wreath on the Cenotaph in memory of our deceased comrades. The Assembly point will be on the G.P.O. steps just opposite the Cenotaph and if  you are in town on the day you are urged to be present.

3/- PER DAY CLAIM - Some of our members' have made requested to their local members, through their R.S.L. Sub branches to bring this matter up on the floor of the House as a non party matter. One such effort was made by Len Dawson and it would have been very enjoyable to watch.

After hearing Len’s opening remarks the Chairman of the Meeting attempted to play the matter down and tried to guillotine the discussion, Gobble Gobble, saw red and opened up with a full blast, you can imagine the result. After a rather stunned silence it was unanimously decided that a strong letter be sent at once, to the local member. After the meeting was over many of those present told Len that up till that time they had little knowledge of the actual facts and implications of the case.

Len looks well enough but we will probably never see him at a reunion as he is a very bad stomach case now and one glass of beer is enough to put him out of action.

It is a peculiar fact about ex-members of our Unit that many of them have married relations of widows of other ex-2/30th men. Latest of these marriages of which we have heard is that of Frank Purvis to Ruth Chalmers who was previously married to Jimmy Chalmers of B. Coy and who later transferred to 8th Div. Sigs. Jim died in Thailand. Frank and Ruth are very happy and have been blessed with a lovely daughter Leslie Anne, now about 17 months old. They are living in a house at Abbotsford Point and as it is their own they have surmounted one of the big diff­iculties of post war marriage. We wish them well and are happy to state that Ruth Purvis is just one more of the wives whom we have enrolled as news hunters. If  it were not for our wives this monthly bulletin would never be larger than one paragraph.

Fred Arnett has made a remarkable recovery of his health except of course for his vision which remains as it was, perman­ently obscure. However the lack of vision has not stilled his will to work and Fred, in partnership with his brother has developed one of the biggest Carrying businesses of its kind on the North Coast. He employs drivers of course but he does, all the loading and unloading himself whilst his wife acts as a very capable Secretary to him. His wife is vary versatile and often helps out with the driving of the trucks if the drivers are away sick or on other jobs. Truck driving is quite easy to her as she is an ex army driver of four years experience. Fred and his wife are living in a very nice home now complete with a six months old daughter, at Moobal just a few miles from Brunswick Heads and the home is always open to any lads from our unit. If you are going that way drop in and put your feet under the table.

Greg Ducker has at last been granted a taxi plate of his own and operates in the Liverpool district. He is sporting a new Holden and we hope that all the berries come his way in the future.

Alf Jones is working for the P.M.G. at Mullumbimby and is doing very well.

Big McNiven is doing well in his business at Bangalow and finds time to play football with one of the local teams.

One of our latest life Members is the one and only Hank Massey. Is it he or his wife who is the member?

Keith Jones is also another one who has trans­ferred to Life Membership and thus saved himself the trouble of buying those wretched 5/- postal notes.

Association Badges. It is some months now since we lodged an order for a new set of badges and we expect delivery within, at most, a couple of months. As soon as they come to hand we will post a badge to those who have not yet been issued with one and we will also inform the members so that those who have lost their badge may have them replaced.

Current Subscriptions. Now what about that dollar that, is now due for this years subs?

Let it be your first resolution for the New Year to send it along immediately because although our costs are rising the sub remains the same at five shillings. It’s not a large, sum these days but it is all that we want from you unless you are a life member.

Although it is almost a breach of faith to mention the following we would like to acknowledge the receipt of a cheque for £4.5.0 from Col. George Ramsay covering the cost of two Ball tickets for last year, the cost of a re-union ticket, (Col. Ramsay was not able to attend either of these functions) and a donation towards the costs incurred by us for the 3/- per day claim. On behalf of the members we express our sincere thanks for this nice gesture.

We are unable to reply personally to all the friendly Christmas greetings we received this year. We received most of the cards an behalf of the members and it is just another example of the bond which exists between the members of our old unit.

The holidays during the month of December have made us a little late with this issue but we hope you will excuse us this time. Our Patron, Brig. Galleghan, The Executive and the Committee of the Association join in wishing you all a very happy and a prosperous New Year.

Please post all cheques, money orders and postal notes to Reg. Ellis, 13 Albany Street, St. Leonard's.

Your attention is drawn to the enclosed circular. See you on the fifteenth of January,

STAN ARNEIL.

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